


Phantom

by amelia_kate



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Canon Character of Color, Canon Compliant, Crime Fighting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Jealousy, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:33:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29243643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amelia_kate/pseuds/amelia_kate
Summary: "You should talk more.""You shouldn't."Or the one where the youngest Avenger falls for her best friend.Peter Parker/Oc{Age Of Ultron ✔︎}{Civil War X}{Homecoming X }{Infinity War X}{Engame X}Disclaimer: i dont own marvel, just my oc and her story <3
Relationships: Peter Parker/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 12





	1. S.H.I.E.L.D PROFILE

**CLASSIFIED**  
 _Clearance Level 8 Required_

**Name:** Kira Anya Clarke

 **Alias:** Phantom, Number 3

 **Gender:** Female

 **Date Of Birth:** August 7, 2001

 **Status:** [CLASSIFIED]

 **Place Of Birth:** Нови Град (Novi Grad), Sokovia

 **Last Known Address:** [UNKOWN]

**Appearance:**

**Hair:** Brown

 **Eyes:** Hazel

 **Height:** 5'4

**Languages:** English, Russian, French, German, Ukrainian, Sokovian Cyrillic, Siberian Cyrillic

 **Family:** [UNKOWN]

 **Education:** None

** Abilities:  **

**Invisibility:** _The user is able to manipulate the illusion of themselves, hiding themselves from others by turning invisible to the human eye. Stems from the user's shadow manipulation abilities._

**Teleportation:** _The user is able to transport from one space to another in a matter of seconds. Stems from the user's shadow and mind manipulation abilities._

**Trained in Hand-to-hand Combat and Weapons:** _Often seen with a small dagger as their weapon of choice._

**Enhanced Durability:** _The user's body can withstand injuries on a supernatural scale._

**Enhanced Senses:** _The user has a heightened sense of hearing, touch, smell, taste, and sight._

**Mind Manipulation:** _The user is able to read other's thoughts and memories. Mind manipulation allows them to influence the thoughts of others by inflicting their own will into the victim's mind, planting false memories and thoughts in the victim's brain, forcing the victim to relive memories and live through their worst nightmares, and communicate telepathically with others._

**Shadow Manipulation:** _The user is able to manipulate shadows and darkness at their will. This is the opposite of light manipulation._


	2. Runaway

**The air was** cold as she walked briskly through the snow covered forest, the overwhelming scent of gunpowder and blood clogging her senses. The pearly white frost clung to her skin, nipping at her exposed neck and face with every step she took. A small shiver washed over her petite frame as she trudges further into the woods. She hugs her thin jacket tighter around her arms as she nears the heart of the battle, staying far enough away to avoid any injuries. Mentally she curses herself for getting herself into this mess, granted she didn't have much of a choice. This was her mission. Well, not the mission she was given. 

No, her actions were going directly against what they ordered her to do and she knew if she were to fail and return back to the compound, it would very likely be the last thing she ever did. And still, with a fierce determination burning inside of her, she disregarded the years of abuse and control and against all better judgement she did the only thing she knew; she fought. 

A tingling sensation filled her veins as she altered her appearance, making herself invisible. With one swift and expertly executed movement, she ran up behind one of the HYDRA guards, grabbed a hold of his gun and rammed the butt of the weapon under his chin, successfully knocking him out with a soft thud. She moved on to the next guard who had yet to notice her attack on the other man who was now laying limp, face-down in the snow. She advanced onto the man, swiftly swiping her leg under him, causing him to stumble backwards. In his fall, he managed to fire his weapon a few times, scorching the trees around him as he whipped his head around frantically in search of the invisible attacker. 

With a sly smirk Kira pulled out a small dagger that she had stolen off of one of the guards on her way out of the base and sliced the man's arm, causing him to drop his weapon as he cried out in pain. 

She rolled her eyes at his outburst before kicking him square in the jaw, knocking the guard out. 

_"Cлабак,"_ she mumbled as the unconscious man fell limp into the blanket of snow surrounding him.

Unfortunately for Kira, the man's outcry of pain alerted the surrounding guards, guiding them to her location. 

A wave of panic washed over her as she once again made herself invisible as she ran away from the guards, severely regretting her decision to head for the heart of the battle. Her lungs burned, begging for air, while she sprinted towards the outskirts of the forest dodging bullet after bullet, sonic blast after sonic blast. She paused for a moment to catch her breath when she realized she wasn't going to be able to outrun the guards who were quickly advancing on her, surrounding her with their weapons aimed at her head. 

_"Сдаться!"_ One of the men yelled, his voice rough and his Sokovian accent thick. 

Seeing as she was cornered, she dropped her disguise, allowing herself to become visible to the guards. There was no point in using her energy if she was outnumbered. She urged her heart to stop beating so rapidly and begged her mind to come up with an escape. She realized she only had three options and none of them were very favorable. 

She could either:

1\. Surrender and be taken back to the HYDRA base, most likely to be punished severely or killed for her actions. 

2\. Attempt to fight off all the guards surrounding her and very likely die in the process.

3\. Or she could attempt to teleport to another area of the forest and hopefully not rip herself apart in the process. 

So, with a grimace, Kira scrunched up her face and concentrated on the clearing in the woods that she passed on her way here, painting a clear image in her mind and focusing all her might on the familiar feeling of transporting herself through space. 

Suddenly, the sounds which were previously surrounding her became muffled and foreign. A tingling sensation ran through her veins, shooting up her arms in an almost painful motion. Her stomach turned and her toes curled at the uncomfortable feeling of warping through space. And then, just as quickly as it began, the sensation was over and Kira was left standing in a pile of snow, an oddly calm and tranquil clearing in the forest. However, before she could take a moment to clear her clouded head or relish in her successful transportation, she was knocked over onto her back as a body slammed into hers. 

She let out a loud gasp as she reached her arms out behind her to catch herself, her wrists taking the force of her fall. Frantically she looked up, her fear and shock evident in her hazel eyes as she stared back into a pair of icy blue eyes. She studied the face of the red haired woman panting above her, her eyes grazing over every inch of her delicate features curiously. Her blue eyes captivated her for a moment, they seemed to be filled with secrets, her face masking the monsters beneath. Upon realizing she had absolutely no idea who the woman was, Kira shot upright, forcing her tired legs to hold her body weight. 

The woman instinctively reached for her gun and aimed it at the teenager standing in front of her. She clicked the gun, locking the bullets in place, prepared to shoot the young girl in front of her if she were to try and attack her. She hesitated for a moment, lowering her gun slightly as she studied the girl in front of her. She seemed so frightened, so young. 

Kira's breath hitched in her throat as the woman aimed her pistol at her, forcing her to stare down the barrel of the gun. The woman must have sensed her fear, lowering her weapon slightly, her blue eyes fixed on Kira, studying her features analytically. Upon seeing the woman lower her gun slightly, Kira's breath evened and her heart began to beat at a more normal pace. 

The two stood there for a moment, neither wanting to make the first move in fear the other would attack. The woman's face softened after a few moments, her shoulders relaxing while she placed her pistol back in its case, her eyes never leaving Kira. 

The woman took a small breath inward. "Hello."

Kira stood there in silence while she carefully analyzed the woman in front of her for the third time since they had ran into each other. She decided against speaking as she feared her voice would betray her. Or worse, the woman was another HYDRA agent sent to bring her back to the base. 

And in an instant, Kira turned herself invisible and sprinted off further into the forest, never looking back. 

The woman frowned before placing her finger to her earpiece and clicking it on. 

"Another enhanced in the field. Looks to be about twelve or thirteen. She didn't seem hostile, more just scared..."

"Twelve!?" Steve Roger's voice rang through her earpiece. 

"What the hell is a kid doing on the battlefield!?" Tony Stark's voice boomed through the intercoms. 

"Oh she can turn invisible." The woman added with a slight smirk. 

"You said she seemed scared, Nat?" Steve asked. 

"Yes. I tried to talk to her but she ran away." Nat replied with a frown. 

"Interesting." Tony's voice sounded through the coms. 

"I'm heading back to Clint. Let me know when the E-vac gets here." She said.

***

**As Kira ran** through the forest, her lungs burning and her muscles aching, panic began to rise within her, filling her lungs, plaguing her thoughts. The forest seemed endless and the longer she ran, the stronger the feeling of dread and fear became. It clawed its way into her mind like a parasite. And now that it has her in it's clutches, its not willing to set her free. 

But no amount of fear or panic could keep her locked up for the rest of her life. She would be damned if HYDRA managed to use her as their personal executioner for the rest of her miserable life. No fucking way.

She needed to escape. There was no life for her in the hands of HYDRA, she had made sure of it. 

She needed to free herself; no one else was going to. She had spent months hoping someone would come and save her, but no one ever came. And the realization that _no_ _one_ was coming felt like a punch in the face. She wasn't brave like Pietro and Wanda. She wasn't brave like her parents. She was just a child. Innocent. Pure. And they turned her into a monster. They took her life, her family, her everything. No amount of bloodshed or anger would bring her childhood back. And she wished she'd known that sooner.

The child that HYDRA experimented on was dead. They killed her. And instead, they replaced her with a killer. A weapon. A monster. 

The young girl was turned into their own little plaything. Something they could tamper with, poke and prod with big sticks. 

But not anymore. The minute Kira stepped one foot out of that base she signed her fate. And she welcomed death like an old friend. 

For she supposed it was. 

She knew the consequences of betraying her captors. And she didn't give a single fuck.

"Screw this," she muttered, her hands on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. Her once neat and tight ponytail was now sitting at the base of her skull, scraggly dark brown strands framing her scarlet face. 

Her lungs were heaving and her eyes wild as she frantically looked around herself. The forest was calm. Too calm. And that unsettled her. 

A pit in her stomach formed as she resumed her slow sprint towards the outskirts of the woods. 

"How big is this fucking forest!?" She grumbled, her footsteps crunching in the sickly white snow. 

She ran harder than she had ever run before. Her muscles ached and her bones felt weak. _She_ felt weak. And still, her legs mindlessly moved her forwards. 

After what felt like hours upon hours of sprinting aimlessly through the snowy forest, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her breath hitches in her throat as she gazes curiously as the odd aircraft sitting on front of her. The outside is a sleek black metal and she can't help but notice its slight resemblance to a large bird. Perhaps a falcon or an eagle. 

A thousand thoughts run through her mind as she takes a few cautious steps closer to the ship. With a quick glance inside of the cockpit, she concludes the aircraft is empty. Well, the _cockpit_ is empty. And against all better judgement, Kira stumbled slowly around the perimeter of the ship. Her dark eyes remained curious as she carefully analyzed its exterior. She ran her palm along the smooth metal surface, allowing it's coldness to creep its way under her skin and send a shiver down her spine. 

Her hand flinched back to her side as the distant sound of voices reaches her ears, catching her by surprise. 

_Shit._

She took a shaky breath and ducked quickly underneath the ship, the cold snow seeping through her thin layer of clothing and drenching her abdomen. Her bare fingers felt numb and her heartbeat quickened unnaturally as she heard the approaching voices. They were speaking in english though she could only hear snippets of their conversation. A few laughs and cheeky insults graced her ears while she lay completely hidden underneath their ship. She knew she could simply conceal herself and become invisible to the people climbing into the ship, but she didn't want to risk the thought of her exhaustion getting the better of her and ruining her facade. She would have to preserve her strength if she were to keep herself hidden. 

Eventually once the unknown party had entered into the aircraft, her curiosity had gotten the better of her, leading the young girl to conceal herself and scramble towards the opening of the ship. Peering inside, her eyes analyzed every detail. Laid out in front of her were a few metal containers, most likely holding weapons of sorts, and seats mounted to the walls of the ship. She couldn't see the cockpit from her angle but she assumed it kept the same color scheme of black, grey, and red that occupied the heart of the ship. 

Inside of the ship stood a buff blonde man dressed in an odd blue and red outfit that resembled an old soldier's uniform. His back was turned to her and he seemed to be talking joyfully to a taller man who's hair was blonde but significantly longer than the soldier's. The taller blonde was dressed very strangely, adorned with shiny armor and a long red cotton cape. Kira couldn't help but gawk at the odd man standing a few feet in front of her. 

Standing to the right of the two men was a shorter brunette. He had an air of arrogance to him. He was speaking to a hidden figure in the cockpit, his hands waving around with each word he spoke. And although Kira had yet to meet him, she immediately took a very strong disliking towards the man. 

A quiet groan emitted from a weak looking man who sat slumped over on the floor near Kira. His back rested against the wall of the ship and his head buried in his large hands leaving only a mop of messy brunette curls to peak through his fingers. She didn't have to use her powers and invade his mind to know he was distraught. The sadness radiating off of the man was enough. A pang of sympathy ran through her heart and she felt the sudden urge to run over and comfort the stranger. She quickly shook those thoughts out of her mind, what on Earth was she thinking? 

She took a few hesitant steps further into the ship and suddenly, a horrible, impulsive, stupid idea crawled its way into the forefront of her mind. No matter how hard she tried to rid herself of this completely reckless idea, its hold on her wouldn't budge and she found herself weighing the pros and cons idiotically. 

She thought about where this ship might be heading, surely it would be able to take her far, far away from the clutches of HYDRA, right? How long would she be able to stow away without getting caught? What if she were to get caught? How was she to know if these strangers were anything better than her captors, how could she place her trust in them when she has no clue of their true identities. 

Then, the pilot of the ship turned around in her seat slightly, her bright red hair whipping around with her movements. Kira froze, a wave of recognition washing over her. She remembered the ginger from their brisk encounter in the forest. She remembered the handgun that had been pointed at her, the woman's soft and steady voice, the fear in her blue eyes the first time she noticed Kira. But, most prominently she remembered the way the woman's eyes softened, the way she lowered her weapon, the way her blue eyes seemed to stare at Kira with an air of... sympathy? No, no that wasn't it. The look in the redheaded's eyes screamed a sense of sadness, a sense of relation. Kira found herself lost in her thoughts, mindlessly staring at the woman only a few feet in front of her. She was pressing a series of buttons on the dashboard in front of her, and before Kira had a chance to register what was happening, the hatch of the aircraft closed, trapping the girl inside. 

She felt herself begin to panic, so before she could accidentally reveal herself, she ducked behind a few crates that were stacked neatly next to each other on the floor. This was going to be a long ride. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! this is my first MARVEL fic um so i hope you guys like it lol, anyways it was super fun writing this :)
> 
> Q: what's your favorite mcu character? Mine is probably Peter Parker, Wanda Maximoff, or Scott Lang :)


	3. Killers

**The flight was** quick, much quicker than Kira had anticipated. She hadn't moved an inch from her spot hidden behind the crates out of fear for being caught. She knew, realistically, there was no plausible way for her to be discovered as long as she kept herself invisible, well unless one of them could see thermal images but she highly doubted that considering the strangers before her looked like a circus exhibit. Though, during her years kept at the HYDRA base, she learned to always expect the unexpected and in hindsight, she really, _really_ should have seen this coming.

The minute the ship had landed in what looked to be a large, bustling city, she had perfected her escape plan. The only problem was she would never get to see it through.

She felt the hum of the engine slowing beneath her and she got up slightly from her sitting position so she was now crouching down, her legs ached and her head was pounding with the harassment of the strangers' thoughts bombarding her mind. The adults stirred around her, the short brunette who she had learned to be named Tony, was the first to stand, straightening out his crumpled clothes with an arrogant smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"J.A.R.V.I.S?" He asked, his voice bouncing off the metal walls as the ship landed gently on what looked to be the top of a large building.

"Yes, sir?" A robotic voice answered, catching Kira off guard and causing her to stumble slightly, though not big enough for anyone to notice.

A smug grin made its way onto Tony's face. "Tell Dr. Cho and Hill that their six favorite people just arrived."

"Actually it's seven, sir," the voice corrected.

"Excuse me? Seven?" Tony asked, his brows furrowed and his smile replaced by a deep frown.

His questioning was interrupted however, by the hatch of the aircraft opening. A man on a stretcher, who Kira assumed to be "Clint", was wheeled off quickly by a couple of doctors, followed closely by the redhead who Kira had learned to be named Nat (or Natasha, she wasn't quite sure which one.)

The man who Kira had discovered to be named Bruce, followed the stretcher hastily. Kira tilted her head to the side slightly, confusion clouding her thoughts. Why would they care so much if one of their colleagues was injured?

"Jarvis, what did you mean by seven?" Tony asked again, his arms crossed firmly against his chest.

"There were seven people on this aircraft, sir. Were you aware you had a stow away?" The robotic voice asked, his question bringing fear to the remaining four left on the ship.

Steve, the man who Kira assumed to be a soldier, stepped forward, his eyes widened slightly in alarm. "A stow away?" He asked.

"Yes. Behind the crates captain Rodgers."

Kira froze, her breath hitched audibly in her throat though she figured it didn't matter seeing as they had already found her. Her heart began to race faster and faster with each step the three men took. Steve signaled something to the two men, causing the three to split up and approach her hiding spot from different angles. She panicked for a moment, allowing herself to get lost in her own thoughts before slowing her breathing. She knew the only way out of this was to teleport, or _attempt_ to teleport. Unfortunately, she had to remove her illusion in order to teleport and she wasn't sure if she even had enough energy left to teleport successfully. In other words, this could go horribly, horribly wrong.

She removed her illusion for a split second before focusing all her energy on teleporting just outside of the ship. She felt the familiar tingling sensation wash over her and before she had a chance to register what Steve had been saying to her, she vanished.

Unfortunately for Kira however, she reappeared directly in front of a stern looking woman. Her hair was pulled tightly into a low bun at the nape of her neck and her arms were crossed intimidatingly in front of her chest. Kira froze for a moment, disorientedly glancing around herself, her chocolate eyes wide and her face pale. She took a few staggering steps backwards, her mind racing for possible escape routes. She felt her heartbeat quicken as the three men came to stand beside the woman, their faces stoic though she could sense their fear and anticipation without so much as lifting a finger. They were much to easy to read, much easier than her previous captors at HYDRA. The soldier was the easiest to read though, as he seemed to wear his heart out on his sleeve and despite his much superior poker face, his icy blue eyes held all the emotions he was trying desperately to hide. Her breath hitched in her throat as she looked behind her only to find that she was standing on the edge of the building, one more step and she would fall to her untimely death.

"There's no where to go, kid," Tony said, his hands held out apprehensively in front of him.

Kira looked frantically between the four adults in front of her, fear written all over her young face.

Steve stepped forward slightly, his hands placed up similarly to Tony's. "Look, we don't want to hurt you. Just... step away from the ledge and we can work this out," his deep voice spoke calmly.

Kira didn't have to look into the man's mind to know he was lying. They were scared of her. And fear was a very dangerous thing

So, with a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, she took another step backwards. The wind whipped by her instantly, the muffled yells and protests of the heroes drowned out by the ringing in her ears. She felt her stomach lurch, the familiar sensation overwhelmed her. She squeezed her in eyes shut and cleared her mind. She pictured herself landing harshly on the cement below her and grimaced, her eyelids twitching slightly out of panic. But she knew this was simply a natural reaction, her fight or flight instincts had kicked in and in that moment all she wanted to do was run. Quickly, she shook the gruesome image from her mind, forcing her fears to dissipate and crawl back into the darkness of her imagination. She pictured a clear image of herself standing on the street below her. She focused on the sounds she could hear, the honking of horns and angry yells of pedestrians. She pictured the feeling she would experience once she used her powers, the familiar tingling in her limbs.

She opened her eyes once more, the familiar tingling sensation washing over her. She pictured once again the image she had created in her mind, focusing on every small detail. She knew she only had one shot at this and she knew she had to get everything right, every detail had to be perfect.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as a vibrant flash of red came into view. And then everything went black.

***

**She awoke some** time later, though she was too disoriented to think clearly. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, she grimaced slightly at the bright light hanging above her. She squinted her eyes, begging fatigue not to overcome her senses. Her eyes widened as she realized she was restrained in what looked to be handcuffs made out of a strange metal that she had never seen before. She shook her arms frantically, chains rattling against the tiled floor, the cuffs rubbing her thin wrists raw. She felt herself begin to panic at the thought of being held captive again. _Not again. No no no no, not again._ She no longer felt herself becoming a victim to her tired state, her frantic mind keeping her eyes wide and alert. She glanced around the room, hurriedly taking in every detail about the room. She was sat in a square room. It's white tiled walls and flooring blinded her momentarily. The wall directly in front of her seemed to be made solely of glass with a small double door acting as the entrance to the room. _"Cell,"_ she reminded herself.

She glanced around herself, twisting her torso almost unnaturally. Behind her sat a small white cot with silver legs. On top of the cot was a small grey wool blanket and she found herself unconsciously moving towards the cot before stopping her feeble movements. She closed her eyes for a moment, regaining her composure. She knew what was happening, she had been trained by HYDRA for this exact scenario. And yet, despite all the endless training she had endured, she still couldn't slow her racing heart.

Her eyes darted up as she saw movement behind the glass wall. A man. A man and a woman. Steve.

She watched in anticipation as the tall blonde opened the glass door, stepping inside hesitantly. She looked up to meet his eyes, her cold dark ones staring fiercely into his icy blue ones. Her hard stare sent a shiver down the soldier's spine, his face faltering slightly.

"Do you know where you are?" The blonde asked, his voice firm and assertive.

She simply shook her head subtly as a response, her expression remaining cold.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked, taking a few steps closer to the girl sitting feebly on the cold ground.

"Steve," she replies simply, her voice raspy.

"Steve? So you know my first name," he paused, "but do you know me?"

She shook her head, her dark eyes boring holes into his head.

"I'm captain Steve Rogers. Do you know why you're here?" He asked, crossing his arms over his buff chest.

"No," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You've got yourself into a lot of trouble. I'm honestly not sure why you thought it would be a good idea to sneak into our quinjet? What did you possibly hope to accomplish? Did HYDRA send you to kill us? Why didn't you kill us when you were on the ship? Why let yourself get caught?" He asked, his voice becoming softer with each word.

"I'm not HYDRA. Not anymore," she mumbled.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

She shrugged. "No, not really. I would expect better from a soldier."

"How so?"

"Well, if I were you I would probably come in with a woman agent, try and get some empathy and emotion out of me. I'd do the classic good cop bad cop act," she shrugged.

"Would that have worked? If I had brought in a woman instead?" He asked.

"No, but I highly doubt you'll figure out what will," she smirked, the left side of her mouth curling upwards slightly higher than the right.

"You have a lot of nerve, kid," Steve grumbled.

"Oh," she gasped sarcastically, "I wasn't aware."

"Do you realize the kind of trouble you're in!?" He snapped, his face contorting into a deep frown. "Why did you follow us?"

She stayed silent, unsure if she could trust this man enough to tell him the truth of why she had boarded their ship.

He sighed, running his hand through his blonde hair. "If you don't talk to us we can't help you."

And with that, he left without another word.

***

**Another hour had** passed since Kira's encounter with the super soldier. In vain, she had attempted to use every one of her abilities. Despite her many desperate attempts, she soon learned that the cuffs that dug deeper and deeper into the raw skin of her wrists, weren't simply made out of a strange metal, no, it disabled her from using her powers. She really screwed up this time.

To pass the time she thought of the only two people she had ever trusted, the only two she would die for with no hesitation. She thought about the first time she met the twins, how scared and alone she had felt. She remembered Pietro's warm smile that barely reached his mesmerizingly blue eyes. She remembered the way her name had rolled off Wanda's tongue like velvet. She remembered that day so clearly so...vividly, that she almost shuddered, thinking for a moment that she was back at the HYDRA base, scared, alone. She could almost feel the iron grip on her forearms, the cold stone floor tickling at her bare feet. She shuddered, snapping herself out of her memory as the sound of approaching footsteps sounded throughout her cell.

She snapped her gaze upwards only to meet the familiar pair of icy blue eyes that she had seen momentarily in the forest. It seemed so far away now, but she could still recall the softness in the redhead's eyes.

"Nadia, Anya, Clarke," she announced, reading off something written on a black tablet in her hand.

"Born in Novi Grad, Sokovia on August 7th, 2001," the agent continued, her gaze flicking to the girl momentarily.

"Parents, unknown. Last known address, _unknown_. Abilities, _unknown_."

"That's all we've got on you, Clarke," the agent sighed, "so tell me, why'd you join HYDRA?"

Kira stiffened ever so slightly, hoping the agent wouldn't notice her change in demeanor at the mention of her previous captors.

"Tell me," Kira began, her thick Sokovian accent dripping with her words, "what happened to the famous _Black Widow?"_

"She's standing in front of you," Natasha glared. 

Kira shook her head mockingly. "No, no, you misunderstand me. What _happened_ to the Black Widow? What happened to lead you to be standing here in front of me? What changed? You did, obviously, but why?" She asked, tilting her head slightly, genuine curiosity flowing off of her. 

"Had a change of heart," she shrugged, taking a few steps closer to the girl. 

"Why? Decided being an assassin wasn't all it was cut out to be?" Kira asked, her words weren't teasing as they had been a moment before. 

"What led you to following us and getting yourself captured?" Nat shot back, her patience growing thin. 

Kira sighed softly. "Well, you'll have to be more specific Natalia."

Nat froze slightly, her eyes widening a fraction of a centimeter. _How did she know her name?_

"Oh, my apologies you go by Natasha now right?" Kira asked, a smirk tugging at her lips. "I know all about you, well not you really, I know all about the Black Widow. I know all about what you used to be. They showed me, taught me. I learned fighting from videos of you training. They modeled me after the famous Red Room assassin. I'd say I learned quite a lot from you but considering only one of us is in handcuffs right now, that wouldn't be the most accurate assumption," Kira smiled softly, easily amusing herself even though she could tell Natasha very much wasn't amused. 

"How do you know so much about my past?" Natasha asked, eyeing the young girl suspiciously. 

"You do know HYDRA has informants and resources all over the globe, no?" 

"How do you know," she asked again, her tone leaving no room for arguments. 

Kira sighed, rolling her eyes. _Was it really that important that they had to spend all their time talking about her regretful past?_ "Like I said, they modeled me after you. HYDRA had heard of you and became, well, interested. They wanted someone like you but they knew they would never be able to get the real thing. So, they chose me instead. I don't see how this is relevant? Surely the rest of your team... the _Avengers_? They must know about your bloody history, no?" She asked, a genuine question. 

"Bits and pieces," Natasha admitted, causing the young girl to frown slightly, "what do you mean they chose you?"

"What more is there to say?" Kira asked, her irritation growing. 

"Why did you follow us onto the ship?" She asked, frowning, she knew she had to get answers somehow but she felt as if she had made little progress. 

Kira bit the inside of her cheek, refusing to meet the agent's eyes. 

The woman sighed. "Fine, we'll talk about something else. When did you first join HYDRA?"

"When you say joined," Kira hesitated, "I'm not sure you have the right idea."

"Enlighten me."

"I will if you answer my question."

"Which question?"

"Why you left. I want to know what happened to change the great Natalia Romanov. I want to know what changed," Kira said, staring directly into the woman's eyes. 

Natasha nodded hesitantly, she knew she had to get answers and if this was the only way to do it... 

"I never joined," Kira glared, a rage bubbling up inside of her that she hadn't experienced in years, "I was taken, _chosen_ as they liked to call it."

"I was five."

Natasha looked at the girl, her eyes narrowed skeptically. As far as she could tell, Kira was telling the truth.

"Now you."

Natasha took a sharp intake of breath. "I fell off the wagon a bit. I knew I needed to change my life if I ever wanted to be happy. I knew I had to leave. I got an offer to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. and the rest is history," she explained briefly, her eyes remaining cold and slightly unnerving. 

"How dissapointing," Kira mumbled. 

Natasha scoffed, "dissapointing?"

"We had ideas, made up theories about what caused you to leave. Me and..." She trailed off, unable to think about Wanda and Pietro without her heart aching. 

Natasha raised an eyebrow but decided against questioning her about it. 

"I had thought you had become a mother, seeing as no mother could ever do what you guys do and have a clean conscience," Kira shrugged. 

"You guys? Who?" Natasha asked. 

"Your team. The _Avengers_ ," Kira glared, the name rolling off her tongue with so much hate that Natasha had to keep herself from recoiling. 

"We don't have guilty consciences," Nat defended, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Kira laughed, a genuine laugh. It felt odd to laugh, especially given her current circumstances, but she couldn't help herself but to laugh at the blatant inaccuracy of the agent's statement. 

"Of course you don't," she snickered sarcastically. 

Natasha glared, her own anger rising within herself slightly. "You think this is funny? What about being locked in a cell is funny to you?"

"You don't get it," Kira glared, any sign of amusement wiped clean off her young face, "you parade yourselves around like some kinds of heroes. You think so goddamn highly of yourselves and it makes me sick. How can you ever expect the world to adore you when you all fear yourselves? _Secrets_ Natalia, secrets grow deeper and darker with age. And yours my dear, are the darkest I have ever encountered."

"What do you know about secrets? What do you know about us? You've spent your whole life being brainwashed by HYDRA," she glared. 

"You don't understand! You're nothing but _killers_! You act as if you have come to save the world, when really all you cause is destruction and pain. How can you even hope to trust each other when you don't even know the first things about each other. It doesn't take much effort to look into your minds, you know. Well, you and that Thor guy were fairly challenging... How can you expect to be a team when your greatest fear is yourself Natalia? How can you attempt to be heroes when Dr. Banner can't control his sickness? A god, a man with a bow and arrow, a monster, an arrogant millionaire, and a murderer? You call yourselves _heroes_?"

"And HYDRA is better? HYDRA is the hero is that it?" Natasha asked, her voice cold and furious. 

Kira scoffed. "Who said anything about that disgrace of an organization run by a toddler on the brink of a tantrum? I know you've been dying to ask the question, so go ahead agent."

"What can you tell us about the Maximoff twins?" She asked. 

Kira hesitate for a moment, choosing her words carefully before answering. "They're broken. They think they are fighting a war, a war which they will win I assure you. Their hatred for Stark has blinded them, they no longer see reason. This makes them dangerous. But they are not beyond saving. They are merly lost, confused, hurt. They're in pain. A pain we all have to deal with at one point or another."

"You said they were dangerous? They think they're fighting in a war?" Nat asked, her arms sliding down to her sides and her eyebrows furrowed. 

Kira sighed, she wasn't going to give them everything they wanted but she figured if she could get them to trust her maybe, just maybe, she would be given a chance to escape. "I'm not going to tell you where you can find them because honestly, I don't know. I know they would hate me if they found out I had spoken with you. I know that despite our closeness, their hatred for Stark outweighs it all. I know they are free from HYDRA, and that's all I care about," she answered sincerely. 

Natasha, sensing the conflicting emotions within the girl, decided she had questioned her enough. And without another word, she left just as Steve had hours before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! hope you like this, i promise more action is gonna come but right now it's going to be kinda slow since she still has to open up to the avengers yk?


	4. Bullet Wounds

***

**She was tired.** And with each passing day she spent locked in her cell at the Avengers' tower, she grew weaker and weaker. She had refused to talk anymore than that first day, she felt as if she had already said too much during her conversation with Agent Romanoff. Though, her defiance didn't deter the heroes from trying to get another word out of her. Really though, the thirteen year old wanted nothing more than to allow herself to let her guard down and confide in the red headed woman that she had been groomed to resemble. Kira wished so desperately that she could open up to her captors, to let them in, let them know she wasn't bad. Well, she supposed according to the heroes, she was undoubtedly bad. And yes, she knew she was deeply flawed, she had never doubted that for a second, but she knew she was better than the soldiers who trained her. And after all, if the Avengers could turn a blind eye to the Black Widow's bloodstained hands, why would they not be willing to look past her own?

Her head pounded from the obnoxious music and the loud booming of dancing feet coming from the floor above her. She didn't know much of parties or why anyone would possibly find any joy in them, but she knew of their significance. She knew it was required to uphold one's reputation among those in higher classes. So, she supposed it would only be expected for the billionaire Tony Stark to throw the occasional event. 

The majority of the guests had arrived no more than two hours ago and Kira knew they would be staying for much longer. It was strange, being so close to countless strangers and yet, not being able to see into their minds. She wished she was able to invade at least _one_ person's mind, just to hear a sting of thoughts that weren't her own repeating in her head over again and again. Or, maybe if she could use her shadow manipulation she would at least be able to keep herself entertained creating small shapes in the palm of her hand. She found her thoughts drifting towards Wanda and Pietro, and while she would normally discourage this line of thinking, she couldn't help herself but welcome these memories with a warm feeling brewing behind her sternum. Though the twins were a few years older than her, she had grown close to them. Too close if she were being honest. It broke her heart to have to leave them, she had never dreamt she would end up as a captive to the man she was sworn to despise. 

Fatigue caught up with her then, her vision becoming blurry and the distant sounds of the party upstairs becoming more muffled than they had been. With fuzzy images of Wanda's perfect, toothy smile and Pietro's strikingly blue eyes, Kira drifted off into sleep. 

***

**She awoke with** a start, the sounds of glass shattering gracing her ears harshly. She shot up off the cold floor where she had fallen asleep, her heart beating out of her chest and her eyes frantic and wide. The sound of a gunshot came from the floor above her and she jumped up off the floor. Her tangled hair fell into her face and when she lifted her hand to push it away, she realized the cuffs that had been placed around her wrists had come undone. Her heart beat faster in her chest as she spun around so she could face the door. _Holy_ _shit_. A disbelieving scoff left her mouth at the sight of the open door. This was too good to be true. Much too good to be true. Though, if there was one thing she learned from her time at HYDRA, never let an opportunity go to waste. So, with a few hesitant strides which soon turning into confident ones, she exited her cell and begun down the hallway. 

She quickly made her way to the elevator, the metal doors refusing to open despite her efforts. She let out a sigh before recollecting herself. She focused on the distant yelling and clashing coming from the floor above. She picked out the quietest voice and focused all her energy onto that one, small voice begging not to be heard. She knew the woman wouldn't be able to feel Kira's invasion with the added stress she was under and she used this fact to her advantage, seamlessly slipping into this stranger's mind. An overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety washed over her, enveloping her senses. Kira's brows furrowed, her mind racing to piece together what exactly was happening around the woman. Metal? No, that doesn't make sense. Why would metal be surrounding this woman? 

Her thoughts were cut off however, by a blood curtling scream meeting her ears. Kira's head shot up in the direction of the noise, her blood racing and her fingers shaking with anticipation. This is it, she thought solemnly, this is your chance to prove to yourself you aren't the killer HYDRA made you to be. This is the moment where you can redeem yourself. Maybe, she wondered, maybe all her sins would be forgiven if she were to help the woman upstairs. 

So, with an unecessarily dramatic sigh, Kira darted towards the staircase. Her feet were moving slower than she would have liked due to her fatigue, but she managed to sprint up the steps and into a lounge room of sorts. Glass crunched loudly under her shoes and she cringed as she caught the attention of a raven haired woman who was huddled behind a grand piano. The woman seemed familiar and it only took a moment for Kira to realize why. Before she could act on her discovery though, a blast of energy whizzed past her, creating a large, steaming hole in the wall behind her. Kira's eyes widened as she whipped her head around to face her attacker. Standing no more than ten feet away was a small, human-shaped structure of metal. 

"You've got to be shitting me," she groaned, an air of disbelief and annoyance surrounding her words. 

The robot fired again, this blast nearly missing the ends of her hair as she gracefully ducked into a roll to avoid the attack. Her palms snagged on the glass shards littering the floor but the adrenaline rushing through her veins was doing a damned good job at keeping her from registering the pain. Kira leaped over towards the piano, her mind set on saving the woman crouched behind it. She looked up as Kira crouched down next to her, her hair a mess and her eyes frantic and wide. 

"Who-" the woman began, but was cut off as a loud crash sounded from their right. 

Kira glanced over towards the source of the sound before returning her attention back to the woman in front of her. "What's your name?"

The woman looked up at her curiously, searching her face for any sign of familiarity. "H-Helen. Doctor Helen C-Cho." She answered. 

Kira smiled. "Helen's a lovely name. Now I need you to listen to me so I can get you out of here okay?" She asked, not waiting for a response before continuing. "Now, I am going to-"

Her words were cut short as a blast hit the piano, causing the two to hide behind one another. Kira dropped her arms from out in front of her. She sent a quick glance over to the doctor to make sure she wasn't injured before returning her attention back to the larger robot standing in front of her. In an instant, the robot lifted its arm again to shoot another blast and Kira focused all her energy on transporting herself behind the robot. She smirked slightly as her feet hit the ground once more before sending her arm out and around the robot's neck. She pulled herself up onto the machine's shoulders, it's metal head between her thighs. Then, with all the strength she could muster she grabbed its head between her hands and twisted, snapping the robot's neck with one swift motion. The metal man fell limp, throwing her to the ground with it. She let out a guttural groan as she rolled out from underneath the robot. Kira pushed herself up off the ground and swiftly made her way back to the woman, who looked significantly more shaken up than when she had left her. 

She opened her mouth to speak before Helen's eyes shifted to something directly behind Kira. With a shaky breath, Kira turned her head around only to be met with the face of another robot. Or...half a face of another robot. Her eyes widened and her hands balled up into fists. Then, a chilling voice emerged from the robot. 

"You're new," it spoke, and if Kira hadn't know any better she would have said it sounded almost...curious. "I don't recognize you in the Avengers' files."

Kira narrowed her eyes, an inky shadow forming slowly around herself and the doctor. "That's because I'm _not in_ the Avenger's files," she spat, her voice dangerously low. 

The robot tilted his head almost in...amusement?

A shiver rand down her spine as the metal man stared at her intently. His gaze then shifted towards Dr. Cho and she stilled, her heart rate increasing with the overwhelming need to protect the woman whimpering behind her. She took a step closer to the robot, her hands flexed at her side as the space around her grew darker. She knew that thing would be able to see her through the shadows but she hoped it would deter it enough for her to escape with the doctor. It was only after a sickening crunch sounded from the direction in front of her that she lowered her defense, allowing for the light to grace her and Helen once again. She felt exposed without the shadows surrounding her and once her eyes landed on the large figure in front of her, she regretted her decision immensely. 

His light blue eyes stared into hers accusatoringly and she was surprised when he lowered the shield in his hands. With a quick glance into his mind, she deduced that he was conflicted. Conflicted about what? She wasn't quite sure. 

His breaths were deep and ragged, a few droplets of sweat brimming his structured face. His face was symmetrical and he was oddly beautiful. She noticed the superficial cut on his cheekbone, scarlet blood dripping down the left side of his face slowly, gently. Her mind wandered to the fight she had walked in on -which had since been finished- and she wondered how strong one must be to draw a drop of blood from the famous Captain America? She supposed she could always find out herself, though she doubted she would actually be able to injure the super soldier. 

"Stark!?" The man yelled, his blue eyes never leaving hers. 

In an instant, the rest of his team including a brunette woman that she had seen earlier in passing, came running over to him. Their faces were priceless and she suddenly wished she had a camera in which she could capture this moment. The shorter man, Tony Stark, stepped forward, his metal mask retracting from his face quickly. His brows were furrowed and his eyes held a fury she had yet to see in him. She tilted her head to the right, studying the man's face. Despite essentially being a prisoner in his home, she had yet to see him up-close, yet to have the chance to study his features and memorize the age lines on his tanned face. Her movement seemed to anger him and she arched her brows at his reaction. 

"How did you get out of the cell?" Stark demanded. 

She looked between him and the rest of his team curiously. "It was open? There was fighting and the door unlocked." Her accent was thick and her voice was hoarse from the extended period of disuse. 

Tony shot a quick glance to Steve before returning his attention back to Kira. "Okay, why did you come up here then? Why not just leave the tower? Escape?"

She shrugged, "It sounded as if you needed help." 

"Why would you want to help us?" It was Natasha's turn to speak, her gentle voice easing the teenager slightly. 

Kira redirected her gaze towards the woman. "I could feel her fear," she gestured towards Helen who was now leaning against the glass window struggling to catch her breath, "she was scared. No one was there to protect her."

"That's what you did?" Steve asked, "protect her?"

Kira nodded. 

"Your powers," Thor demanded, his voice significantly deeper and louder than the others, "what are they?"

She hesitated, considering her options. Before this moment she would have simply shut her mouth and refused to speak any further, but now...everything had changed in the span of a few minutes. A part of her wished it hadn't. 

"I can teleport, shift through time and space for a brief moment and move without moving," she answered, her words slow. "I can control shadows I believe, or darkness, whichever you call it. I can see into minds. That's how I knew Doctor Cho was fearful." 

The heroes studied her for a moment longer, and she had to fight the urge to look into their minds to know what they thought of her. She knew they wouldn't be very keen on the idea of their thoughts invaded. 

Stark sighed. "Look, kid, we don't know what side your on and I guess since it's not Ultron's, you're probably on our side but I also remember your little speech to Romanoff when you first got here."

"You kidnapped me," she pointed out, her voice flat. 

"Okay, but you stowed away on our jet."

"You put me, a child, in handcuffs."

"You're with HYDRA!"

"No, I _was_ with HYDRA. I got out just as agent Romanoff got out."

Captain Rodgers stepped forward, his brows furrowed. "Was? Got out?" 

She rolled her eyes. "Was, as in past tense, captain. Got out as in I was not there willingly as Wanda and Pietro were. It's not complicated, captain."

Steve deadpanned, ignoring the quiet snickers from Stark. "Do you have allegiance to HYDRA?" He asked, his voice cold and stern. She looked up at him, her left eyebrow raised. 

"No. I hold no allegiance to any one thing. No, not even Wanda."

"Why then," Natasha began, "did you sneak onto our jet? What's your goal? Your _real_ goal?"

Kira shrugged, "I thought it would be easier to join your flight than run aimlessly through a snow covered forest. And, in all honesty, I have no goal. I didn't think I would ever get this far away from HYDRA so I never planned the rest."

"Steve?" Natasha asked, an unsaid question hanging in the air. 

He shrugged, turning his attention back to the young girl in front of him. His eyes were warm, kinder than they had been. Hesitantly, Kira allowed herself to see briefly into his mind, focusing on the image of herself in his head. He didn't see her as a killer, instead a child. She wasn't quite sure why that had caused her heart to slow with relief. 

"You on our side?" He asked simply, his hand outstretched towards her. She glanced at it curiously before bringing her gaze back up to his perfectly balanced face. If she accepted his hand she would be safe, safe from the monsters lurking in the shadows outside of the tower, safe from the clutches of HYDRA, safe from her past. And after all, isn't that what she had always longed for? Safety? Security? Her mind swirled with thoughts, images, feelings. She knew accepting was the right choice, her only choice. And yet, she had never felt so much unease about a simple decision. 

"Wait," she said suddenly, her mind made up, "Stark. I need to know if you're the killer Wanda and Pietro say you are."

"I'm not a killer," he replied. 

"Show me."

He hesitated, his eyes glancing between his team frantically before landing on her small frame once again. And then, with a reluctant sigh, he closed his eyes and allowed for her to slip into the inner-workings of his being. She had planned to see death, destruction, violence, the thoughts of one like her handlers at HYDRA. Instead, there was no death, no destruction, no violence, nothing like her handlers. With a soft smile, she left his mind and placed her small hand in Steve's. Her answer was never up for debate, she knew that now. She would have always picked their side. 


End file.
